The Internet has become an important source of information and communication between persons. For example, emails may be used to exchange messages, websites may be accessed to receive information, such as news stories, instructions to purchase an item, etc., intranets can provide details relating events specific to a particular institution. Use of the Internet and the world-wide-web has expanded to a point that there is hardly a demographic sector of society that cannot take advantage of the benefits of these sources, such as the availability of informational and communication sources.
Unfortunately, computers in general and the dominant, popular Internet browsers available on computers are not very easy for everyone to use. For example, many webpages contain crowded information and are confusing or difficult to navigate for some users. In particular, the Internet and world-wide web remain difficult to access and navigate for persons with particular disabilities, including persons with limited sight and persons unfamiliar with computers, the Internet and the world-wide web, such as senior citizens.
Various innovations have been proposed in the past to address the needs of senior citizens and persons with disabilities who want to access, navigate and utilize the Internet and world-wide web. These innovations generally involve specialized or non-standard equipment, improved training, and online help. These solutions increase the costs of the hardware or software required to access and navigate the Internet and world-wide web and furthermore require investments of time to achieve a level of proficiency. Other proposed solutions involve modification of webpages before these are delivered to a user. Therefore, the user does not have access to the whole of a website.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,665,642 discloses an invention to provide improved access to Internet websites for those with special needs by way of a platform which interprets and translates webpages for users with special needs, where the original webpages are not necessarily modified for users with special needs. This invention includes a Translator/Mediator Server that is located between the user and the website. Generally this invention involves the requirement for markup codes within the webpage to make such translation possible. Therefore the invention provides the user with access to a version of a website translated to accommodate the user's special needs. For example, a person who is seeing-impaired may receive a parsed version a website whereby the parsing performed by the Translator/Mediator Server outputs a webpage to a user having font, icons, graphics, etc., in an increased size. This invention provides as examples of transformation; text-to-speech transformation, speech recognition, audio-to-video transformation, image recognition, grammar simplifiers, semantic parsers. The use of various configurations of servers is disclosed, including as a plug-in to the user's browser to perform the transformations.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,010,581 discloses an invention wherein a proxy machine retrieves a webpage for a user, and then injects the user selected browser function controls into the webpage itself. The browser controls on the page itself are also transformed in a likewise manner. Generally the invention involves a proxy mechanism for transforming a webpage for improved accessibility according to a set of preferences previously stored by the specific user requesting the page.
U.S. Patent Application No. 2006/0064504 discloses a Website that utilizes a Rules Engine to determine an expertise level of a User for one or more topics on a Webpage. To make this determination the Rules Engine may analyze User related data, such as the search term used by the User to find the Website, the past products purchased by the User, the path through the Website taken by the User, the usage history by the User on the Website, the demographics of the User and/or the self declared expertise level of the User, to determine a technical expertise level of the User for the topics on the Webpage. The invention may further utilize a Display Engine to customize a Webpage based on the expertise levels of a User so that topics on the Webpage are presented in a manner most appropriate for the User. Furthermore, an Email Engine may be used to customize emails to the User so that topics in the email are presented in manner most appropriate for the User. Additionally, a Support Entity Engine may also be used to route incoming support inquiries from a User to an appropriate technical support person for the User.
U.S. Patent Application No. 2006/0190542 discloses a means of facilitating email communication between an elderly individual and registered friends and family by displaying photographs received by email from registrants on a monitor display screen. Visual indicators may be displayed on the screen in association with photographs of registrants from whom emails have been received. A selection means may also be provided for selecting a photograph having an associated visual indicator. Upon selection, text emails received from registrants are converted to an audio format and the emails are played. The individual can also send recorded emails to a registrant whose photograph is selected.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0201422 discloses an invention that permits a patient at a senior care facility to send and receive messages via the Internet. The messages may be audio, video or text and the system helps the patients navigate through the process of sending and receiving messages. The system provides tools to manage the patients, the patient's relative contact, mail and photo collection.
U.S. Patent Application No. 2009/0313582 discloses a computer interface operable to provide a user with a selected subset of features. The invention may be used to navigate a software interface, which a user may interact with through an input means. Program options may be displayed to the user as icons through the software interface and each may correspond to an active program, which may be selected through selection of a program option. The software interface may display basic commands relating to the active program as icons that use may select. Alternatively the user can return to the program options.
ELDY offers computing features directed at seniors (see: www.eldy.eu) using a simplified user interface with large buttons and features to improve the readability of screen content, such as a magnifying feature. ELDY offers the following features: Linux and Windows software supporting email, chat, web browsing, weather news, photographs, documents, news, text editing, streaming and tutorials.
Touchtown Digital Signage provides a multi-window display for community information (see: http://www.touchtown.us/welcome/products/digitalSignage.aspx). For example, the community information may include announcements, weather, activity, schedules, menus, and other information.